Concrete and metal structure.



PATENTED MAR. 20, 1906.

R. y. CUMMINGS. CONCRETE AND METAL STRUCTURE APPLICATION I'ILED 0C 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

FIG.

INVENTOR.

Liu-MVV WITNESSES. g @Maf/f- No. 815,409. PATENTED MAR. 20', 1906. lR. A. CMMINGS. I v CONCRETE AND METAL STRUCTURE. APPLIGATION FILED 001:1. 1904.

|NvENTOR. Mfr

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i .UNITED 'l sTATEs :PAENT OFFICE. y

' `ROBERT A. CUMMINGS, oF-BEAVER, PENNSYLVANIA'.

' CONCRETE AND METAL STRUCTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent. l1 pplication filed October 1,1904. Serial No. 226,821.

To a'ZZ whom tima/y concern.-

Beit known that I, ROBERT A. CUMMINGS, a resident of Beaver, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented" a new''and useful Improvement in Concrete and f Metal Structures; and I do hereby declare the following to'be a full, clear, and egract description thereof. 1 j

My invention 'relates to com osite'metal and concrete structures, such as ridges, via-l ducts, reservoirs, floors, roofs, walls, columns, piles,struts, and other portions of iireproof v buildings and other structures.

The object of my invention is to provide a spacing` and su porting member for holding t e metal rein orcements of the concrete ink proper position relative to each other and to the centering or casing used in forming the concrete.

Concrete and cement are at present very largely used for building many kinds of structures which formerly were built of metal, masonryfor the like. '.The concrete possesses great com ressive lstrength when properly constructe and supported and is not'aifected .by fire, water, or other. elementsand for these reasons `is highly desirable in.many

" building constructions.' It however, possess'es very little` tensile strength, and there-f fore it is customary to reinforce the same by embedding in it suitable metallic reinforcing members or bars, known technically as core bars or units, which supply the requisite 'tensile strength to the material. Itis the custom to place the metallic reinforcing members in position inthe structure and in proper .relation with'reference to Vthe centering or 7 casing onto or into which thecement is to be filled and then to fill the cement into the casin the concrete as to give'the greatest strength or onto the'v centering and around the res 1 orcing members. v These metallic reinforcing members very frequently are of light Weight, being either thin metallic bands orl rods from one-fourth inch upward in dimensions. 'They therefore are quite flexibleand diificulty is experienced in holding them in properrelative position one to the other and also in proper position with relation to the centering or casing. This is essential in order that these members may be so distributed thereto.

My invention relates especially to means for holding the reinforcing members in proper relative position one to the other and to the centering or casing.

The invention consists, generally stated, in 'a supporting and spacing member formed,

preferably, of sheet metal and provided at its edges with projecting vtongues or fingers Patented Mmhzo, 190e. n

-which are adapted to be bent some in one dil rection and some in the other, those bent in one direction serving to spacethismember and the reinforcing members supported thereby the proper distance from the centering or casing'and. those bent in the opposite direction serving to hold the reinforcing memtion showing the .application of the spacing 4,member to girder constructions. l section on the line 8 8, Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a ver- :tical section-showing the ap lication of the Fig. 8` is a lsupporting and spacing-mem e'r to the building up of a column an the like.

is a perspective detail of the column-work, and Fig. 12I is a similar view showing a modication. v f

lMy invention comprises la supporting and spacing member having a body designed to be placed horizontally or vertically, according to the character of work `to be performed, and provided on itslonglintudinal side' edges with projecting tongues,

gers, or the Fig. 10.is a:- horizontal section through the same. Fig. 1 1f' Fig. 2 .is a perspective view of a like, some of whichmay be bent in one direction and some in another.` This su porting and spacing member may be formedp of wire, .malleable castin or other material. Preferably it will be Tormed of sheet metal of a thickness depending on the character-'of work.

In some cases it may be of exceedingly thin metal-say twenty-eight gage but for heavier work it will be materially thicker. This sheet metal will be used in the form of narrow 'stripsand of a length varying-considerably IOC with thc Work to be performed. It will have its side edges provided with slits, lSo 1 as: to

form tonguesor projections.

In Fig. 1 is shown a suitablestrip cutv to form a s acing member. This strip has the central vllingitudinal Aunslitted body portion I'Ic I. 2 and on the edges is provided with .ing tongues 3 separated byinterdenta spaces project- 4. These spaces 4 might be so narrow as to form mere slits; but it is preferred to have a portion of the metal removed, so as to make comparatively Wide spaces. Some of the 'projecting tongues 3 will be bent in one direction to form the le s or distance members 3, and others Will be ent in the opposite direction to form the means 3*? for spacing the reinforcing members or core-bars 5. Preferably I the projections or tongueswill be arranged alternately on the two sides, as shown in Fig. 1, instead of o posite each other, as thereby greater ieXibi ity in spacing the core-bars or a greater range Aof dimensions of the spaces between the upturned members can be obtained. vAny of the projecting tongues may be turned upwardly, as desired or necessary, to form holding means properly spaced apart for the metallic reinforcing members, while other of said tongues can be turned down to form the necessary number of distance pieces or legs. The number turned up Will vary accordmg to the number of reinforcing members to be held by the spacing member and the distances between adjacent ones will vary largely. Fig. 3 shows two adjacent fingers on the same side turned up, thus forming a narrowv space for holding a small core-bar. Fi 4 shows one nger on one side and anotlgier on the other side turned up to form a i wide space for a lar er core-bar, and Fig. 2

blank will be sufficient for can be put.

Shows the'two turne -up iingerson the same side of the strip, but not adjacent ones, thus making a still Wider space for a large core-bar.-

The number turned down to form the legs will be sufficient to properly support the member and reinforcements in proper position with reference tothe centering or casing. All other projections or'tongues can be left unbent. The blank shown in Fig.1 is a standard blank which can be adapted'at the place of use to a variety of uses and to various numbers or characters of metallic reinforcing members to be held thereby, the projecting tongues being capable of being bent into place by handor by a simple tool. It will be necessary only to stamp out the sheet-metal blanks to the form shown in Fig. 1 and thenl carry the same to the place of use. This one any use to which it If desired, different sizes or weights of blanks can be manufactured but a single one will be found suitable for most purposes. This spacing member can be used in a large variety ofways, and in the drawings I have shown several manners of applying the same; but it will be understood that these are -for purposes of illustration largely and do not show all manners of using the same.

In Figs'. 5 and 6 the spacin member is shown applied in the formation o floors, roofs, and similar structures. The centering is shown at 7, and the spacing members 8 are placed upon the same, aving the legs 3'* resting thereupon. The reinforcing members or core-bars are shown at 5, and the spacin member will have as many fingers 3b turne upwardly as will be necessary to hold the core-bars in the proper relative position with reference to each other. The body 2 of the spacing members lies in a horizontal plane and merely serves as a sup `ortl upon which the reinforcements rest. v he le s 3b of course can be made of any desired ength so as to hold the reinforcements the proper distance above the centering. As many spacingpieces will be used as necessary to support the reinforcements along their entire length. The concrete is filled onto the centering and around these reinforcements and spacin members in the usual way, and when sai concrete sets the centering is removed, thus leaving a reinforced concrete structure inl which the reinforcements or core-bars are properly distributed, so as to give the maximum strength to the structure.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have illustrated the spacing member 'applied in the building up of main and cross girders. shown as provided with rows of reinforcements 10 and 11, located near the bottom thereof. The lower row of reinforcements is held in proper position above the casing 12 and properly spaced one from the other by a spacing member 18. The upper row of reinforcing members 1 1 is supported by a spacin member 14, laid upon the lowermost row o reinforcing-bars and merely having upward projections 3b, so as to properly space apart said reinforcing members 11. Near the top The main glrder 9 is of the girder there are also applied several reinforcements 15, which are supported and held apart by a spacing member 16, suitably secured concrete may first be partly filled in, then the member 18 laid thereon. 18 represents a' cross-girder resting partly on top of the main girder 9. This also is provided with -a series at its ends to the casing 17, or the of reinforcing members 19, which are supported and spaced apart by a member 20, having upturned fingers 3b for spacing apart'the reinforcements 19 and having downturned fingers 3c bent around one of the core-bars 15. In this manner the spacing member is attached to said core-bar and serves to support and space4 apart the reinforcements 19 of the crossirder. Other spacing members 21 support t e reinforcements 19 above the centering 22. The concrete in this case is filled into the casing `and around the reinforcing .and spacing member, and when set the casing and centering is removed. The result is that all -of the reinforcements in the main and cross girdersareso distributed that the maximum stren th is obtained.

In igs. 9 to 12 I have shown my spacing member-applied in the building .up of columns or similar structures. The column `is provided with vertical strengthening or reing orcing members 23 and y With bands 24, which surround the` concrete .25, so as to prevent the same from spreading outwardly and fracturing. The spacing-pieces are shown at 26..

They have some of their fingers 3 bent Varound one of the vertical reinforcements ,23 and' other of the fingers 3a rejecting outwardly and bearing against t e casing 28, so

. asl to hold the vertical members 23 a proper v distance aWay from said casing. The bands 24 are located either between the verticals 23 and body 2 of the spacing member and are thereby prevented from falling down, as shown in Fig. 11, or lsaid bands are held against fallin by tongues 29, punched out of the body of tIie spacing members, as shown in Fig. 12. With the metallic members held in this position the concrete is filled into the casing and aroundthe metallic portions, en-

tirely embedding the same. These metallic portions are held in proper vertical position so that the resultant column has the vertical members properly distributed therein and entirely embedded in. the concrete.

The application of the spacing member and I clip to column-Work, as shown in Figs. 9 to.

12, is not `claimed herein,but is claimed in y application, filed October 22,1904, Serial Many other applications of my spacing member Will suggest themselves to those skilledl in the art. In all casesl however, this member servesto properly space the reinforcing members away from the centering or casing, so that said spacing members will be entirely covered by the concrete, and thus not exposed to the air and resultant corrosion,

and Will `also hold said members the requisite distance from the top of the floor, column, or other structure, so as to get the necessary strength. The spacing member also serves to hold the reinforcing members in proper relative positionsone to another, so that they be properly and uniformly distributed in the concrete. The spacing member itself. ,is veryA simple and can be -very cheaply made. It is'so constructed that a single size and design of spacing member is adapted for a large variety of uses, in that manner making'special dies and deslgns unnecessary and very .greatly reducing the cost of manufacture.

What I claim is- 1. A member for spacing and supporting bars in metal .and concrete Work, comprising a metal plate having tongues or projections formed on its side edges and separated b interdental spaces, some of its tongues on oth edges being bent in one direction and adapted to contact With thecentering or casing, and others of said tongues being bentl in the lopposite direction and serving to space apartv reinforcingebars extending transversely of said member.

a spacing member com rising a s 2. 'A member for spacing and supporting bars in metal and concrete Work, comprising. a sheet-metal stri .having tongues or projections formed on lts 'side edges, ,some of said tongues on, both edges being bent in one direction and adapted to contact with the centering or casing, and others of said tongues to space apartreinforcing-bars extending transversely of said member.

3. A spacing and su porting member for metal and concrete reinf) ing a metal strip having projecting tongues formed on its side edges, said tongues alternating on the tWo edges, and some on both edges being bent in one direction and others in another direction.

4. Inconcrete and metal structures, the combination of a member having fingers projecting at an angle to itsbody and in opposite directions, and metallic members extending transversely of said member held by the fingers projecting in one direction, the fingers -being bent in another ldirection and serving orced work, comprisprojectlng in the opposite direction serving to contact with the centering or casing.

5. In concrete and metal structures, the

combination of metallic reinforcing members,

-spacing-pieces comprising metallic strips havj ing projections ont e edges, some being bent in one direction to space and support the reinforcing members and others being bent in the opposite direction to contact with the centerlng or casing, and concrete enveloping and embedding said reinforcing and spacing 'members 6. In concrete and metal structures, the

combination of metallic reinforcin members,

' xeet-metal strip rovided with projections or tongues on its side edges and arranged alternately, some of said projections being bent in" one direction to space apart the reinforcing members and others being bent in the opposite direc- IOO tion to contact with the centering or casing, j

and concrete or the like enveloping and embedding said ,reinforcingand spacing members..-

7. In 'metal and concrete structures, the combination of metallic reinforcingmembers, metallic spacing members having on' their side edges fingers or projections, some of Which are bent in one direction around one metallic member and others of Which are bent in the op osite direction, and concrete or the'y IIO and embedding said reinforcing and spacing' arranged on the two side edges of said strip,

members. and concrete or the like enveloping and em- I .9.- In metal and concrete structures, the bedding said reinforcing and spacing'memcombination of metallic reinforcing members, bers. i 5

5 a spacing member comprising a metal body In testimony whereof I, the said ROBERT poi'leil on ts edges Wlh projectiols, som A. CUMMINGS, have hereunto set my hand. o .W 'c are entin one irection'an aroun one of the reinforcing members, and others of ROBERT A' CUMMINGS' -Which are bent in the opposite direction and Y Witnesses:

Io serve to space apart others of the reinforcing ROBERT C. TOTTEN,

f members, said projections being alternately G. C. RAYMOND. 

